Ünal Üstel, the north’s Turkish Cypriot prime minister, has announced an inquiry has been launched into the marine disaster which he described as “the worst in Cypriot history” .
“Every angle of this incident will be investigated,” he told local media.
“Even the smallest negligence will be uncovered. There will be no leniency for anyone thought to bear responsibility.”
More survivors have described how the bow of the two-hulled vessel was damaged while at sea. According to Reuters those who were onboard have reported that the ferry had been moving erratically, and that as it moved through the water, a hard impact with the water’s surface broke the bow of the boat, allowing water to seep in.
One survivor, Efe Multici, told CNN Turk: “The vessel had been moving very badly. It was constantly lifting out of the water and slamming back down. It was shaking violently,” he said.
“Three or four minutes later, the ferry leapt high into the air, then came crashing down. The front left side burst open and water started pouring in.”
Northern Cyprus ferry disaster - key developments so far
Here are the main updates from the last few hours:
The death toll has risen to “at least 8” , with 18 people still missing.
Ünal Üstel, the north’s Turkish Cypriot prime minister, told Turkish state broadcaster TRT that 237 people have so far been rescued.
Survivors have described a blast which went off at the vessel’s bow before the catamaran-style ship rolled over.
The captain and seven other crew members have been arrested and are in custody
The captain was allegedly among the first to abandon ship , according to witnesses who spoke to local media.
The boat was sailing from the port of Kyrenia, in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, to the port of Taşucu in Turkey , when the disaster occurred about 4 nautical miles (7.5km) off the coast.
Three children rescued from the sea were in intensive care on Sunday.
The ferry has “completely sunk to a depth of 514 metres (1,686 feet)”, according to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ transport minister
Rescued passengers claim captain was among first to abandon ship after ‘blast’ occurred before ferry capsized
Several survivors from the ferry which capsized off northern Cyprus have described a blast which went off at the vessel’s bow before it rolled over, and also claimed the captain was among the first to abandon ship .
One rescued passenger who spoke of a blast on board told local TRNC television after he was taken back ashore: “The front part exploded, they tried to turn around. And the side windows blew out. The boat started taking on water.”
The man, aged in his 50s and not named, said he spent an hour and a half in the water before being rescued, according to AFP. He said many people had been inside the ferry at the moment started taking on water.
“Those who could, got out,” he said, adding that he saw the captain among the first to abandon ship “without organising anything”.
Another witness, in his thirties, corroborated reports of an explosion. He said he had reported water leaks to the captain.
“The seats started to float, the captain kept going, and the bow exploded,” he said.
EU diplomats based in the Mediterranean island’s internationally recognised south have suggested the ferry may have been “in poor condition”.
“It was not in the best condition. It may well have been unseaworthy,” one diplomat said. “We are not hearing it was a new ship.”
Turkish Cypriot MP Sami Ozuslu told the Guardian it was still unclear who was on the passenger list. “We still do not know if any foreigners were on board,” he said. “This is a service used primarily by [mainland] Turks and Turkish Cypriots.”
“Rescue efforts are still ongoing but the ship now lies very deep beneath the sea surface and there is talk of bringing a special ship from Turkey to bring it up,” he added.
Cyprus has been lashed by storms over the past 48 hours with officials saying the adverse weather could have played a role in the disaster.
At least eight dead and 18 missing after ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus
At least eight people have died and 18 are missing following the capsizing of a ferry off the coast of northern Cyprus.
Ünal Üstel, the north’s Turkish Cypriot prime minister, told Turkish state broadcaster TRT that 237 people have so far been rescued. A search is underway for another 22 people, officials said.
The catamaran-style ferry was sailing from the port of Kyrenia, in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, to the port of Taşucu in Turkey, when the disaster occurred about 4 nautical miles (7.5km) off the coast.
A senior Turkish Cypriot official has described the boat as “going down in record time”.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous said: “The captain, it seems, endeavoured to return to shore when it began taking on water but it soon began listing and then went down in record time.”
Ferry captain and other crew members arrested
Turkish media is reporting that the captain of the capsized ferry, along with seven crew members have been arrested and an investigation has been launched.
The prime minister of the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ünal Üstel, vowed authorities will get to the bottom of the disaster saying: “There will not be a cover-up.”
The vessel had been travelling from the port of Kyrenia, in the north of divided Cyprus, to the port of Taşucu in Turkey and was carrying around 270 passengers when it capsized.
Death toll rises to at least nine, MP says
Republican Turkish party MP Sami Ozuslu told the Guardian late on Sunday that the death toll had risen. “Sadly we are now hearing that there are nine or ten dead,” he said.
The families of passengers were converging on hospitals in Nicosia, Kyrenia and elsewhere, desperate for news of loved ones, he added.
“I met many relatives at the central hospital in Nicosia earlier today who were looking for family members among the missing,” he said after visiting the hospital with a delegation from the ruling party. “Everyone was in a state of shock.”
Ozuslu also revealed that three children were in intensive care, adding: “They are in intensive care but seem to be out of danger.”
Capsized ferry off Northern Cyprus has 'completely sunk', minister says
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ transport minister said the ferry “completely sunk to a depth of 514 metres (1,686 feet)” when it capsized earlier today.
The minister, Erhan Arikli, told Turkish television network TRT that 161 people had been taken to hospital and 76 were back with their families. The ferry had departed the Cypriot port of Kyrenia (also known as Girne) for Tasucu, in southern Turkey.
The below image shows the catamaran-type Filo Jet vessel that capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday. The picture was taken in September 2024.
We are unsure of what caused the ferry to capsize, the extent of the injuries of the wounded and the nationalities/identities of the seven people confirmed to have died. We will bring you any new information as it comes.
The Filo Denizcilik company, which operates the capsized passenger boat, has put out a statement saying it is “deeply saddened” by the “tragic accident”. It said the priority is the safety of the passengers and crew on board. The statement continued:
From the moment the incident occurred, a crisis management team was established within our company, and all our resources were mobilized to the field in full coordination with all authorized search and rescue teams. Search and rescue and evacuation efforts are being carried out continuously and with the utmost care.
We share the great concern experienced by the families and loved ones of our passengers. A dedicated crisis and information hotline has been established to provide passengers’ relatives with timely and accurate information.
Helena Smith, our correspondent in the region, has confirmed that injured passengers are being transferred to the main hospital in the island’s self-proclaimed Turkish Republic:
I have just spoken to Mehmet Harmanci, who as mayor of breakaway northern Nicosia, says he is overseeing efforts to gather warm clothes and other essentials for the wounded.
“There are 23 still missing and others who have also been injured although we don’t know to what degree,” he told the Guardian.
“The wounded are being sent to hospital here in (northern) Nicosia and we are gathering warm clothes for them.”
Harmanci described the disaster as the worst ever witnessed in the 43 years since the territory declared independence. “We have not seen anything like this before. It’s very serious,” he said.
Four Turkish Cypriot coast guard vessels and a civilian passenger boat have been deployed to the scene, along with five Turkish coastguard vessels and two helicopters, the Turkish Cypriot interior ministry said in a statement.
Here are some of the latest images being sent to us over the newswires following the incident:
Priority following 'tragic shipwreck' is reaching 23 missing passengers, region’s prime minister says
The prime minister of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Ünal Üstel, has posted an update on X about the “tragic shipwreck”. He said 237 out of the 267 people on board the ship have been rescued – but seven people have died.
Üstel said search and rescue operations are under way to locate the 23 missing people, which he describes as the “utmost priority”.
“I offer my condolences from Allah for those who have passed away, and wish patience and strength to their families and loved ones. I pray for a swift recovery for the injured,” he added in the post.
“All institutions of our state are on the ground. We are continuing the search and rescue efforts with the utmost care and closely following developments.”
Mayor describes Cyprus ferry incident as 'very serious'
In a post to Facebook, the mayor of the coastal town of Kyrenia, Murat Senkul, described the situation as “very serious” and confirmed that 270 passengers and crew were aboard when the ship sank off the coast of Diana beach. He said the ferry belonged to the Filo Denizcilik company.
“The Coast Guard, the *Akgünler Express* vessel, and numerous small boats are participating in rescue operations,” he wrote in the social media post.
“Please refrain from sharing information that could cause confusion or spread misinformation.”
At least seven people reportedly die after ferry capsizes off northern Cyprus
At least seven people have died after a ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus , local media reported.
An estimated 237 people have been rescued, Northern Cyprus’ prime minister, Ünal Üstel, told the TRT news channel, adding that the ferry had faced adverse weather conditions and began taking in water just 15 minutes after departure.
Local media report that an intensive search and rescue effort was launched after the boat capsized off the coastal town of Kyrenia earlier today. The ferry had been travelling to the Turkish port of Tasucu.
“Every angle of this incident will be investigated,” he told local media.
This report is published with credit to theguardian.com. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on theguardian.com →
Source: theguardian.com · Harry Cockburn and Yohannes Lowe. Published 30 Aug 2026, 07:18 pm.
